Vox Talk

Salutation:

Hi! I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli, and you’re listening VOX Talk, your break away from the everyday ☺ We’re in the final weeks before the VOICE Conference (book your flight now!) and are ecstatic to bring this 18th episode of VOX Talk to you. From Curt Schilling of the Boston Red Sox to Gracenote software Mozart would have loved, this show is a mixed bag. Ready to fly?

The Loop:

TomTom Gets Back to Basics with Celebrity Voice-Overs

Just when you thought that celebrity voice-overs were only performed by voice matchers or celebrity voice impressionists, TomTom, a company that supplies voice-overs for GPS systems, announced that they’ve added the authentic celebrity voice talents of Boston Red Sox Pitcher Curt Schilling to their roster of voice talent. For about 13 dollars, you can replace a voice-over like “you are approaching your destination” with “You’re almost home, slide! Slide!” (Sorry for the bad Curt Schilling impression!)

To learn more about this story, visit mobilemag.com.

News #2

Gracenote fingerprints audio / proves legitimacy of music

In the world of technology, classical music downloaded to iPods will now have it’s own digital ‘fingerprint’ thanks to Emeryville, California based company Gracenote. Gracenote is owner of the largest database of music information in the world. The company recently unveiled the first standard for the display of classical music on digital devices, which will greatly affect the downloading, cataloging and play listing of classical music, able to identify true artist recordings from fraudulent recordings.

To learn more about the Gracenote “Classical Music Initiative” software and the music it has unmasked, visit popmatters.com.

News #3

VOICE Conference 2007

To wrap up, you may have heard that AFTRA, one of the unions in the US, has just jumped on board as sponsors at the VOICE Conference to take place in 3 weeks time in Las Vegas. AFTRA members only heard recently about the conference, so the team at VOICE has decided to extend their early bird pricing until March 10th.

If you’ve been waiting and this extended incentive has given you the inspiration you needed to make a decision now, don’t hesitate – we want to see you at the Palace Station! Visit voice-international.com to check out stellar lineup of lecturers, sessions and events.

Something I’m really looking forward to is seeing Bob Bergen’s one-act play ☺ The VOICE conference promises to present very special moments for those who attend, so get your tickets and book that flight!

The Biz:

Today in The Biz, we’ll discover one of the hottest, untapped resources for searching on the web… Local Search!

Local search is becoming a very popular tool for people who want to get things done locally and support local businesses. Google lets you search for local businesss by name, keyword, or location with satellite maps.

A good example of local searchers include people who only purchase local produce within a certain radius of their homes. For consumers concerned about helping local farmers and contributing to the prosperity and economy of their city or region, local search has become a blessing in many ways for both buyers and sellers.

Ok, so now we know what local search is, but how can you benefit from it?

Here are 5 quick Tips for Increasing Your Local Search Results

1. Add your address to your Voices.com profile. Check the box that says "Show my contact information on my Voices.com website" and click "Save" to ensure that your contact information is displayed on Voices.com.

2. Submit your Voices.com website to the Local Search Engines. Remember that just because you're in their main "Web" search results doesn't mean you'll be in the local search results too. Add you name to the local search results to ensure you'll be listed (there are several links you can use at VOX Daily to do this).

3. Trade links with other local businesses. Comment on blogs that cover local news and link back to your Voices.com website, which states your address. This will give Google, Yahoo! and MSN the necessary information for creating a clear picture of your physical location.

4. Write an article about how you serve your local community. Two websites you can submit to for fast inclusion are eZineArticles.com and GoArticles.com.

5. Join local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau. These organizations validate your mailing address and link to your website.

So, there you go!

On another note, we’re accepting new segments for The Biz. If you have a story or some tips to share, I’m personally inviting you now to send in your audio commentaries to be aired in The Biz segment. If you’re a voice instructor, an agent or a union rep, this segment was made for you! The ideal length of this segment is between 1 to 2 and a half minutes. You can send in your audio commentary or clip to me electronically by emailing media@voices.com. Listen to past episodes to get an idea of what others have recorded.

Tech Talk:

Colin Campbell of AffordableAnnouncer.com.

Thanks Colin!

VoxBox:

We’ve had a rather interesting week on the blog with several unique stories, polls, and articles.

This comment comes from Rick Sparks, addressed to Don LaFontaine regarding his Oscars story:

"Great article! Thanks for taking the time, Mr. LaFontaine. I'm just starting to get my feet wet in this business, and you're an inspiration.

An aside - it's funny to read that, at your level of experience and celebrity, your table ends up with the same kind of collection of performers and purses that I encounter at some of my gigs. Continued success to you!"

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and appreciation Rick. Kudos to you too!

Farewell:

That’s our show for today. You may have noticed that I was flying solo in The Biz! Usually Julie records 1 episode a week and generally we have another piece to air sent in by anyone else who would like to participate. In the past, you’ve heard amazing segments from Kristi Stewart, Bob Souer, David Boyll, Bob Green, and most recently Johnny George – hey, even Pat Fraley’s technically been in The Biz once. Well, suffice to say, this episodes spot could have featured you! That being said, if you have something you’d like to share, send your MP3 commentary to media@voices.com. I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli - See you on Thursday!